There’s a giant unofficial national advertising holiday at the end of this weekend. There’s a football game attached to it, too. But such things do not comprise the entirety of the weekend. They are a big, bean-dip-fueled prize at the end of it, surely. But this weekend is way too big and busy to be just that: A fusillade of fine films, soul celebrations, stand-up gold, and even a seafood festival! Hit the links below and load your plate accordingly
Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday
Friday, Jan 31
Dude York, Kyle Craft, On Drugs
Seattle power pop and alt-rock trio Dude York are no strangers to Portland audiences. Last year, the trio’s seemingly non-stop touring schedule found them gracing stages in this neck of the woods more frequently than some locals acts did. The band’s love for the road should come as no surprise; with crunchy guitars, soaring solos, and sing-along choruses propelling their unabashedly exuberant live set, Dude York makes each venue they play a communal space for longtime fans and newcomers alike. The band’s latest Hardly Art-issued album, Falling, finds guitarist Peter Richards and bassist Claire England trading off songwriting duties, with Richards’ somber and subdued contributions offering space to reflect before England comes along with another freight train-sized anthem to knock you back to the present. (Fri Jan 31, 9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $12-14) CHIPP TERWILLIGER
2020 Fertile Ground Festival
Get ready for SO MUCH THEATER, because Portland’s annual festival of new performance, Fertile Ground, is here! One of Portland’s most accessible and affordable arts festivals, this year’s Fertile Ground features some of the most adventurous artists in the region putting bold new theatrical, dance, performance, experimental, and storytelling works on a wide variety of Portland stages. For a full list of participants, venues, and showtimes, click here. (Thurs Jan 30-Sun Feb 9, Various Locations, $50-70 all-access festival pass)